“I tell you; this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.” Luke 18:14a ESV1
There is a protocol for greeting a member of the English Royal Family:
“When being presented to The King or Queen, men are expected to bow from the neck. Women can either bow or curtsey. If a curtsy is given it is just a short bob, keeping the back straight, hands by the side, dropping the knees slightly and bowing the head … Allow The King or The Queen to begin, steer and end the conversation.
On first address: Your Majesty
Thereafter: Sir (King) or Ma’am (Queen).2
There is a proper way to address the President of the United States.
“In direct oral address – actually speaking to the President – the President is addressed as: Mr. President—His given name or surname are not used in his presence. This pattern of not using the name is typical around the world when addressing the highest officials—chiefs of state, heads of government, speakers of houses, chief justices, and a very few others.”3
There is also an appropriate way to come before the King of the Universe.
Jesus addressed the fitting way to approach His Father in the following parable:
“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you; this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 18:9-14).
Jesus’ parable comparing the Pharisee and the tax collector helps teach us a fitting way to pray:
- Make a Connection
Imagine you had something you desperately wished to share with a world leader. Let’s suppose you petitioned and were granted an audience with him/her. You were ushered to the prescribed meeting place but never entered; instead, you stood outside the door. With the door separating you from the one to whom you desired to speak, you poured out your heart to the hearing of no one. What a fruitless interaction that would be?
In prayer, we get to speak with the King of Kings. We need to make sure we enter His Throne Room. Prayer is not really prayer if we are not actually in the presence of God. We should take the necessary time to focus our attention on God until we are confident that we are talking the Almighty.
Preparing our hearts to meet God should not be rushed. Even if we sit in silence for a time before we realize the presence of God, it is worth it. Better to have the time only to speak a little to God than spend much time merely talking to ourselves.
The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable wasn’t even praying. The curious phrase standing by himself emphasizes this. The Pharisee didn’t actually connect with God. You have probably heard people say they feel like their prayers hit the ceiling and go no further. Well, this Pharisee’s “prayer” never even got off the ground.
- Prioritize the Conversation
More absurd than requesting the privilege of talking with a ruling official but failing to enter his/her presence, is coming into his/her domain only to be distracted by the decorations of the office, what the gardener is doing outside, or how nicely you are dressed. Both your important message and the response of the world leader would be lost. Yet, how often does something not so dissimilar prevent us from a communicating with God?
Short, spontaneous prayers are often appropriate and necessary. But truly connecting with God happens by spending frequent, dedicated time in prayer.
For that, we need:
- A quiet place:
Jesus taught:
“‘When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you’” (Matthew 6:6).
In the busyness of His ministry, when Jesus couldn’t even find time to eat (see Mark 3:20), Jesus still made sure He pulled away from the crowds to meet with His Father.
“And He came out and went, as was His custom, to the Mount of Olives … and knelt down and prayed” (Luke 22:39a & 41b).
Any place can be a quiet place if we choose to make God our primary focus. It has been reported that Sarah Edwards, the wife of the evangelist, Jonathan Edwards, and mother of eleven children, and Susanna Wesley, mother of 10 children—including John and Charles, who brought millions to salvation in Jesus—both threw their aprons over their heads to find solitude and the freedom from distraction to pray.
- A quiet time:
There is no prescribed amount of time necessary for cultivating a worthwhile prayer practice. But we must set aside some time, away from our responsibilities and activities, to focus on God.
This time should be treated like any other appointment. It will take some forethought and the setting aside of other opportunities, but it is well worth the work to figure out a time to meet with God. In the morning is a good time to prepare for the day, ask for God’s provision, protection, and direction as we walk in His will. At night, we can process the day, meditate on what we learned, and thank God for His help.
A quiet time is a personal matter. We must each find what works for us. The point is to give our best to God.
Now, this doesn’t mean we never allow God to rearrange our schedule or interrupt our prayer times. If your neighbor’s house were to catch on fire, do you suppose God would rather have you on your knees or on the phone with the fire department?!
Time with God is never intended to be rigid. Circumstances may affect one’s usual prayer plans. If there is no place for flexibility in our quiet times, we aren’t spending time with God; we are spending time in our habits.
- A quiet heart:
Having quiet places and quiet times are of little value if we don’t have quiet hearts. For there to be any lasting value in coming before the Throne of God, we must be quiet enough to hear Him speak. Though a quiet place and a quiet time might not always be available, a quiet heart can always be achieved if we focus on God and His character.
The Scriptures remind us to:
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
When we come before God, bodily posture is not as important as the direction of our minds. Pray in whatever position allows you to express your concerns best and connect with God. Realize His presence and come to listen as well as speak
Both the Pharisee and the tax collector, in Jesus’ parable, chose the temple as their quiet place, but only one of them encountered the Living God there. The Pharisee’s quiet time was distracted by his looking around, measuring himself up against others. But the tax collector’s attention was consumed with looking within and measuring himself against God’s standard.
The tax collector’s prayer time may have appeared less dignified than the Pharisee’s; perhaps his quiet time was not so quiet physically, but his heart was quieted as he connected with God and found peace in His forgiveness. In his self-glorification, the Pharisee gained nothing from the Glorious One except future humiliation.
“‘For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 18:14b).
- Proceed with Reverent Adoration
When we consider the protocol for addressing earthly dignitaries, it is astounding that we take the privilege of approaching God’s Throne so lightly.
“Day and night [those in Heaven] never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” … [They] … give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the Throne … [and they] fall down before Him… and worship Him … saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will, they existed and were created’” (Revelation 4:8b-10a & 11).
The writer of Hebrews stated,
“In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, … and He was heard because of His reverence” (Hebrews 5:7).
Those in Heaven and He who came from Heaven have a greater understanding than we do of the holiness of God. But there are a few humans who experienced a measure of God’s majesty and recorded their encounters for us to read. It was with awe and trembling that Isaiah recounted his vision of the Throne Room of God.
“I saw the LORD sitting upon a Throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!’ (Isaiah 6:1-6).
When we encounter the Almighty in worshipful prayer, focusing first on His character and His plans, everything else falls into its proper place. Our concerns don’t seem so overwhelming when we realize God’s Holiness, His ability to meet our needs, and His delight to provide for us.
In Jesus’ parable, there was nothing resembling adoration of God in the Pharisee’s prayer; he was too captivated with his own glory. On the other hand, the tax collector was so cognizant of the majesty of God that he couldn’t even look in the direction of Heaven.
- Enter by the Blood of Christ
It is highly unlikely that any of us, as average citizens, would ever have the opportunity to speak to a person of great influence. If we did, we couldn’t help but broadcast it amongst those in our spheres of influence. It is ironic, though, because high-ranking people, no matter their positions, are human just like us.
What is stunningly surprising is our having access to the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. But in that, we must remember we have no right to come before the Throne of God on our own merit. We are only privileged to approach a Holy God because His Sinless Son made a way for us:
“For our sake [the Father] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
It is only by Jesus’ sacrifice that are Children of God. And it is only Children of the King who are welcomed into His presence unhindered.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the Throne of Grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
God listens to our prayers because we stand before Him in the Righteousness of Jesus. The Scriptures teach that God only listens to the prayers of the righteous.
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).
Without Jesus’ moral uprightness, we have none of our own.
“‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one’” (Romans 3:10-12).
But faith in Jesus allows us to be clothed in His perfect purity and gives us the confidence to enter God’s Throne Room in prayer boldly.
“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us” (1 John 3:21-23).
That doesn’t mean God never acknowledges the prayers of those who are not right with Him; if that were the case, none of us would have ever been saved from our sins and accepted into His Family. God may answer some of the prayers of the ungodly, but He delights to answer all of the prayers of His children.
“If [we] had cherished iniquity in [our hearts], the LORD would not have listened. But truly God has listened; He has attended to the voice of [our] prayers” (Psalm 66:18-19).
Jesus’ purpose in sharing this story was to rebuke those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” (Luke 18:9b). The Pharisee had a pretty impressive resume when it came to self-righteousness. Yet, he wasn’t the one who received mercy.
The tax collector was aware of his unrighteousness and need for God’s mercy. He confessed his sins and was reconciled to God. He went home justified. Justified means to be proven right—“just as if I’d” never sinned.
- Remain Until Wrongs are Righted
If you were to meet with a high-ranking official, you would most likely be freshly showered, well groomed, and dressed in your best attire. Likewise, the decent way to come into the presence of the Most High God is being freshly washed of sin and dressed in Christ’s Robe of Righteousness.
Moses discovered this when he came near the mysterious bush that was on fire but wasn’t being consumed.
“God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:4b-5).
God doesn’t have anything against shoes. And we don’t need to remove our shoes to pray appropriately. God asked Moses to remove his sandals because they were unclean. As a shepherd, it isn’t difficult to imagine what filth was on Moses’ sandals.
As Children of God, traversing through a sin-saturated world, we sometime spiritually step into some foul matter. Removing one’s sandals is a picture of confession. By confession and repentance, we put off what has been tainted by the impurity and corruption of the world and can courageously meet with a Holy God.
In Christ, our sins have been forgiven and our sinful natures have been crucified. We aren’t a part of the world, but we are in the world and at war with Satan. In an attempt to discredit God, the devil constantly looks for opportunities to destroy God’s Children. Even the most diligent of us are not immune to the tricks of the evil one.
Our flesh is an easy target for Satan because we justify those things that our flesh craves. Religious people are particularly prone to the sins of pride and criticism. Look again at the words that spilled forth from the mouth of the Pharisee in Jesus’ story.
“‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get’” (Luke 18:11b-12).
Ask yourself, “Am I in any way guilty of the same sins of the Pharisee?” Plead with God:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
Once God opens our eyes to our sins, we can either run away from Him or run toward Him. Once we realize our impurity, the temptation is to pull away from Holy God. But remember, before any of us ever sinned, God knew, and Jesus paid the penalty for our wrongdoing.
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8b).
And it is only by God that our sins can be removed.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
We tend to be comfortable confessing sin in a general sense. But a full cleansing only comes when we agree with God concerning the specific sins He reveals and accept His mercy and grace to free us completely from them.
When God reveals sins, He is specific so that we can repent and walk in victory. Satan, on the other hand, uses generalizations that only cause us to feel shame and don’t give us any hope of getting out from under anything.
In an attempt to discourage us, Satan, reminds us of sins we have already repented from. Instead of getting down, use this as an opportunity to thank God for His forgiveness and glory in His mercy.
Whenever we realize unrighteousness, it is best to repent immediately. But it is often in the set-aside, quiet of regular prayer times that we are still enough for God to reveal those things we have overlooked.
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite’” (Isaiah 57:15).
- Continue with Humble Supplication
If you ever did get the audience of a high-ranking leader to whom you wished to convey an important message, you would be wise to respectfully consider his/her position, humbly submit to authority, and act considerately in every way.
Jesus directed His parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector to those “‘who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt’” (Luke 18:9). In contrasting the characters, Jesus concluded His parable with:
“‘For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 18:14b).
The essentialness of humility before God is repeated several times throughout the Bible. A few of those instances are:
“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5b).
“For though the LORD is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar” (Psalm 138:6).
“Toward the scorners He is scornful, but to the humble, He gives favor” (Proverbs 3:34).
When it comes to supplication, there are a plethora of “ask anything” promises in Scripture. As I read just a few of them, notice the bolded words. There are stipulations to these promises.
“‘And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith’” (Matthew 21:22).
“‘If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it’” (John 14:14).
“And whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him” (1 John 3:22).
“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).
“‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you’” (John 15:7).
Humble prayer stands on God’s character and acknowledges God’s authority. Humble prayer is presented with the authority of one’s position in Christ, is spoken with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is something to which Jesus could sign His name. Humble prayer boldly asks for anything but willingly submits to the desires of God.
Jesus is our example of this. In prayer, He approached the Father asking for what He wanted, but submitted to God’s overall wisdom concerning the situation. In the Garden of Gethsemane, on that night before He was crucified:
“Being in agony, [Jesus] prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).
Jesus prayed urgently:
“‘Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will’” (Mark 14:36).
Again, He prayed:
“‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done’” (Matthew 26:42).
Finally, Jesus got up off His knees, confident in the love of His Father, and continued on with what He was sent to do. Though Jesus wasn’t looking forward to going through the physical pain or the spiritual rejection the cross entailed, He knew what His Father wanted was best for everyone.
“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?
Just as God sacrificially provided through the blood of Jesus what we needed most—salvation—He will also abundantly provide for all our other needs.
“My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
“His Divine Power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3a).
The “prayer” of the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable contained no supplication. He asked nothing of God; he only praised himself. He did not come before God with even a hint of humility. Notice how many times he used the word, I. The tax collector’s attitude, on the other hand, exuded humility. “‘Standing far off, [he] would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner”’” (Luke 18:13)! His petition for mercy was bountifully bestowed.
- Draw Closer with Thanksgiving
How unappreciative it would be if, after having been granted the opportunity to address a person of great influence, you showed no gratitude for his/her meeting with you? Or, after having your request granted, how inappropriate it would be if you did not to express your thanks. Likewise, it is only fitting that thanksgiving be a significant aspect of prayer.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7).
How easy it is to bombard Heaven with requests and forget about God Himself. Prayer isn’t merely getting what we want from God; prayer is about getting God Himself. We do have many physical needs. And Jesus promised, “‘Your Heavenly Father knows that you need [these things]’” (Matthew 6:32b). And we should thank God for ordinary, everyday blessings. But it is intimacy with the living God for which our souls crave.
We should make sure to thank God for His greatest gift God—Jesus. In Him, we have forgiveness and victory over sin, death, and Satan. We have a place in Heaven, and power through the Holy Spirit. It is because of Jesus that we are welcome before the Throne in the first place.
We should even thank God for our trials. Without difficulty, we would have very little fortitude. Without trials, our faith would be shallow. Without struggle, we would be useless in the Kingdom of God.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).
The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable appeared to have much for which to be thankful, but he wasn’t thanking God for these blessings. Instead, he was patting himself on the back. We should be cautious to not fall into a similar trap and to think more highly of ourselves than we ought (see Romans 12:3).
- Abide in Faith
It would take some intense conviction for one to deem it necessary to meet with a world leader for any other reason besides intrigue. If you consider all of the required petitioning, study of protocol, traveling expense, investigation of issues, and planning the presentation of information and demands, would you be able to do all of that if you were convinced the person you wished to speak to wasn’t going to listen anyway? There wouldn’t be much point in going through all of that if you thought nothing would come out of it?
The same is true with prayer. Faith is an integral part of prayer, and we must base our faith on what God promises about prayer not on past experienced or the opinions of others. What He says is the truth, no matter what we feel or anyone else thinks.
“It is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:8).
Just as we cannot come to salvation without faith, we cannot come to prayer without faith. If one does not believe God will answer, it is pointless to come to Him.
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
Just as futile is believing He can answer but won’t. That is also a lack of faith.
“Ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7).
The tax collector in Jesus’ parable asked for mercy and believed he received it; he went down to his house justified. How often have we come before God begging for something we greatly need or desire, not believing it is on the way? We have to let go of our unbelief to receive what God has for us. Stake your faith on God’s promises. Use the promises in Scripture in your prayers to increase your confidence in the truth.
“[God] is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20a).
“‘Nothing will be impossible with God’” (Luke 1:37).
God desires us to commune with Him. As our Heavenly Father, He loves us and treasures our expressions of love for Him like a parent who proudly displays his/her toddler’s drawings on the refrigerator. Like any good father, God gives us all we need to succeed in the area of prayer. Both the Holy Spirit and Jesus assist us in prayer.
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).
“[Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Anyone who wants a vibrant prayer life can have it. You don’t have to be a religious elite, well-educated, or perfect. You just have to want God.
So, pray until you pray. Confess until you are broken by your sinfulness and accept His forgiveness. Petition for grace and mercy until know it is on its way. Praise until your heart is filled with the wonder of God. In meekness and trust, open your heart to God’s will. With gratitude, thank Him for all He has done. And do it all in faith.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there were many grandchildren in England, but only eight got to call her “Granny.” When John F. Kennedy was president, there were 75 million children in the United States, but only JFK’s were allowed to play in the Oval Office.
We are children of The Supreme Ruler of the Universe. We get to call Him “Father.” We are welcome in His presence. Unlike Esther, we don’t have to put on our royal robes and timidly approach our King for fear of Him smiting us, because He doesn’t feel like holding out the royal scepter to us that particular day. We can come before God’s throne with boldness. Praise God. But may we respect Him enough to approach Him with all the worship, purity, humility, gratitude, and faith He deserves.
1 Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted.
2 https://theenglishmanner.com/forms-of-address/how-to-address-the-king-and-queen/
3 https://www.formsofaddress.info/foa_president_us/
For some of my other articles on prayer, check out: https://www.blueturtletrails.com/proper-persistance/ or https://www.blueturtletrails.com/a-friend-a-father-and-a-little-bit-of-faith/